Editor Patience Wales is the editor of Sail magazine.

Both American-born Batham and her British husband grew up aboard boats and are experienced and accomplished seafarers. After several years of sailing the South Pacific Islands, they settled temporarily in Japan in the mid- 1990s. Two-and-a-half years later, in 1997, they set sail again, on a 14-month, 10,000 mile journey back to their home in New Z

Not only the British writer himself, already famous for novels and poems, but his family with him took to the sea between 1888 and 1890 to search Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia for Robert's health and adventure. Writer and film maker Holmes (emeritus anthropology, Wichita State U. Kansas) has

Live the cruising life without being wealthy! Thousands of ordinary people are living their dreams of sailing the world thanks to The Cruising Life, and this completely updated Second Edition aims to help thousands more find adventure over the horizon. Even if you’ve never sailed before, this A-to-Z guide can have you cruising to exotic ports within five years. Your adventure begins right at home, practicing to live a sensible life with only the essentials, as described by lifelong sailor Jim Trefethen, who relishes the cruising life in retirement. Along your path to living at sea, Jim prepares you to: Discuss the pros, cons, and realities of the cruising life with your spouse Save and maintain the best type of cruising fund to meet your goals Strip away your anchors, including useless possessions, credit card debt, and your job Manage, grow, and protect your cruising fund while at sea Develop essential skills for living on the water, and how to earn an income selling those skills Find the boat you need, outfitted with the essential gear and equipment, in your price range Assimilate into the sailing community by developing the traits of a successful cruiser If you think age, experience, and money can keep you from the cruising life, you haven’t read The Cruising Life, Second Edition.

Caswell offers advice on everything from choosing the right cruising area, a good company to charter from and selecting a suitable boat, to dealing with common problems encountered on charters.

Rae Ellen Lee is a writer and sailing enthusiast.

In 1996, the author and her husband sailed from Phuket, Thailand to Cyprus as part of a multi-year circumnavigation of the globe. While traveling through the Red Sea, they were arrested and detained for questioning by Eritrean soldiers for 23 days. She offers a memoir of the entire trip, with a day-

Bob Bitchin founded the wildly successful Lattitudes & Attitudes magazine.

The Cruising Life: A Commonsense Guide for the Would-Be Voyager, Jim Trefethen. The funniest, drollest, wisest book on the shelf for the would-be cruiser. Trefethen pulls no punchesÑhe tells you just what will be involved if you and your family decide to "let slip the surly bonds of earth" and set sail. How to get ready, how to finance the voyage, how to live on your boat with maximum peace of mind and minimum hassle, and what equipment you do and don't need. (What you don't need may surprise you.)